THE BASIC WAGE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVIII, Issue 18572, 26 November 1920, Page 5

THE BASIC WAGE.

PROBLEM INSOLUABLE. By Tologiraph— Prat* Aa&ocf»*)o T >—Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. MELBOURNE, November 25. According to the memorandum supplied to Mr Hughes oy the chairman of tho Basic Wage Commission, the suggested basic wage of £5 16s for all male workers was based on a typical family of a man, wife and three children. Ibis meant that all families with more than three children would suffer privation, those below three would receive more than a living wage, and the unmarried man would get what would support himself, a wife and three children. Working upon the 1911 census of population, the number of children per bend of tho male population averaged .90, so that under the existing basic wage industries were paying for 450,000 non-existent wives and 2,100,000 non-existent children. Again, there was the question of an automatic increase in the basic wage every quarter, so that the sovereign would always purchase the same amount of commodities. With every increase in wage would come an increase in prices, because Australia did not produce the required wealth. Under these automatic increases, by November, 1921, the basic wage would rise to £8 12s Gd. On the strength of these figures Mr Hughes declared tho problem to ibe insoluble, and the position impossible. The worker would be no better off from an increase iri wages, because of the increase in prices.

SYDNEY, November 25. Tho Federal Government have deu cided to pay Federal servants a basic wage of £4 4s, from November 1.